


I've Been Sleeping Here Instead

by agirlnamedtruth



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Beds, Denial, Kink Meme, M/M, Masturbation, Merry Month of Masturbation Challenge, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-29
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:02:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1657451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agirlnamedtruth/pseuds/agirlnamedtruth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The five times Merlin masturbated in the royal bed. As one is wont to do when the King is away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written to fill [this prompt and variation](http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com/30557.html?thread=29522013#t29522013) at Kink Me Merlin for the [Merry Month of Masturbation](http://mmom.livejournal.com) challenge. Title taken from [Ho Hey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvCBSSwgtg4) by the Lumineers.

Merlin had barely been appointed servant to the prince when already, he was off somewhere. A royal visit to some other kingdom was all Merlin had been told. He didn’t care, it wasn’t like he’d _miss_ him or anything. It wasn’t like his _feelings_ had been hurt that nobody had asked him to go along.

He’d had good intentions. He’d meant to make the bed up, ready for Arthur’s return but the sheets were so fresh and the pillows so plump, he couldn’t help but give them a go. He’d still been entirely innocent of anything until he inhaled the scent of Arthur, then he couldn’t help himself.

With Uther, Arthur and Morgana gone – taking Gwen along with her, he might add, not to mention almost every other servant and half the guard in the kingdom – there was nobody who might disturb him. The castle was practically empty. 

Undoing his breeches but keeping them on, he wished Arthur had left him with a key to the room just in case. He could hardly list this under his duties and he was sure it could get him executed if he were caught but he couldn’t stop his already hard cock from twitching at the barest brush of his hand and at the barest though of what he was doing.

He pushed his cheek into the pillow, breathing in deeply, trying to reason he couldn’t have feelings for Arthur, the sheets were fresh on. Perhaps he had a thing for laundry. Perhaps this really was his perfect vocation. Perhaps if he tried really hard he could pretend it wasn’t Arthur he was imagining sleeping in these sheets. Writhing in them. Sweaty and dreaming and maybe even touching himself in the same way.

He came trying to stutter out any name other than Arthur’s, even though he couldn’t deny it shared a similar sound and the same letters. Coming to his senses, he surveyed the damage to the clean sheets and with a smirk to himself, he resolved that he’d just have to launder them again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Merlin, are you _smelling_ my sheets?" Arthur's voice came from across the room, startling Merlin half to death.

"What? No," Merlin denied a bit too adamantly, making Arthur raise his eyebrow. "I'm just making sure they were washed properly. Only the best for Prince Pratiness."

"But _you_ wash my sheets," Arthur said, shaking his head in exasperation. "I want them safely on my bed when I get back."

"Yes, sire," Merlin said with a nod, wishing Arthur would hurry up and leave. The week after his return had been the most awkward of Merlin's life. Gaius had saddled him with jobs on his way to the linen store for fresh sheets and the somewhat used ones had gone forgotten until he was tucking Arthur into them again. To change them after that would only draw attention to the fact he hadn't been doing his job properly the first time around but today he could change them without having to make any excuses. He was just checking them, that was all. To his relief, they bore no difference to Arthur's sheets from the week before or the week before that. They smelt of one thing only. Arthur.

The door closed and Merlin breathed easier. He told himself it was because he'd gotten away with it. He collapsed back into the pile of sheets in relief. Now that Arthur had gone he could turn the bed down in peace, without his heart thumping or his mouth dry as a summer drought and palms as damp as morning dew. And he could stop thinking in overly romantic statements.

If Arthur had found out... Merlin shivered, pulling one if the sheets around him. He could have lost his job. Arthur could have asked him why. He could have read too much into _well, sire, the sheets smelled like you and thinking of you in them made me lose all rational thought so it's your fault really..._ No, that would have been disastrous. _Well, sire, I have this uncontrollable lust when faced with sumptuous bedding..._ would be safer.

Merlin sighed, clutching the bedding tighter. It wasn't his fault. Why did the bastard have to smell so bloody good? And his sheets were soft and smooth and cool to the touch and his blanket was fur lined and so warm... it was like laying in the epitome of decadence. It was like laying with Arthur...

"Oh no," Merlin said propping himself up on his elbows and glaring at the tight stretch of his breeches over his cock. "Don't you start this again."

Merlin winced, trying to will down his erection using every means he knew how but every time he breathed, he got another lungful of temptation. He rolled over, tangling himself in the sheets, pressing his cock into the mattress to try and dull the ache and inadvertently rubbing himself against the sheets. He canted his hips again, this time in purpose, the several layers of material causing the most wonderful friction.

He closed his eyes, imagining he was rolling around in Arthur's bed with its owner. He pictured Arthur being the one he was thrusting against. He grabbed hold of the fur lined blanket and imagined he was running his fingers through Arthur's hair, gently tugging on it as he bucked his hips, sending himself over the edge.

He heard footsteps in the hall and remembered Arthur saying he would be back. He reluctantly dragged himself up and pulled the sheets towards him, gathering them up and using them to cover the front of his breeches. He got to the door just as Arthur came through it.

"What are you doing with them now?" Arthur asked, glancing down at the bundle of sheets.

"Nothing, I'm finished now." Merlin pushed his way through the door. "I'll bring up some fresh ones if you can wait a few minutes."

"Honestly, Merlin, what are you doing with those sheets that makes it take all day?" Arthur asked rhetorically before shutting the door in Merlin’s face, effectively ridding him of any guilt he had.

"Wouldn't you like to know, sire," Merlin said, smiling to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

The next time Merlin came prepared. He'd never be so stupid as to do it with Arthur in the castle and he would have resolved never to do it again but the memory of the two times before haunted his dreams and changing Arthur's sheets had never quite been the same since. But Arthur was always there. As if he didn't quite trust him.

Merlin closed and locked the door, shaking his head. He was being paranoid. It was just a coincidence. And today, things would be different. Today Arthur was on a hunt with his father and a few visiting nobles. He had hours to himself.

Blocking out every thought telling him that premeditating what he was going to do was crossing some sort of line, he stripped himself naked and got beneath Arthur's sheets. He'd put a vial on the bedside table which he took up now. He would never dream of doing this on clean bedding but it didn't matter with these sheets. He poured the oil on his hand; not worrying about the drips fell through his fingers.

Planting his feet against the mattress, he spread his knees and circled a fingertip over his hole, pressing inside. He'd never done anything like this is his own bed. It was quite impossible when he only had a few moments to himself and even less privacy. He took a while to adjust, to acclimatise to the new feelings. His mind wandered to where it always ended up, thinking about Arthur, how this would be what it would feel like to be with Arthur.

The thought hardened his cock again and he wrapped his hand around it, making the most of it while it lasted. He moved his finger inside himself, pushing in and out until it was easy. Too easy. He added another finger, stroking his cock to soothe the burn. That was all he could manage, he hoped it would be enough.

He twisted his fingers in and out, imagining it was Arthur that was fucking him. His fist wrapped around his cock, he imagined Arthur stroking him, making sure he felt good. Mixing the two ideas, he found the perfect balance of sensations.

He fantasised about Arthur coming back, all sweaty and hot blooded from the hunt. He could push him down on these sheets, he could fill him up and have him any way he liked. And he knew Arthur well enough now, he knew exactly how it would go. And it would be just like this. Rushed and in secret and so desperate that it would be nearly overwhelming.

Merlin bit back a moan, clenching around his fingers as he teased the ridge of his cock over and over until the pressure was too much and he couldn't stop himself from coming, no matter how long he'd intended to hang it out.

He wondered if he could sleep a while in Arthur's sheets. He would be gone all day after all but somehow, it didn't seem right. It seemed even more intimate that what he'd just done.

He settled back against the pillows and stretched out. He could have a little while longer at least.


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin stepped across the room, the movement catching Arthur's distracted eye. He looked up from his desk, a flash of guilt crossing his face before it cleared again.

"Merlin..." Arthur shook his head, lowering his eyes uncharacteristically. "You should go. It's long past time I dismissed you."

"And you?" Merlin asked, taking in Arthur's shadowed eyes and his pale skin. "Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

"The kingdom doesn't sleep, neither should I," Arthur said, turning over a page. He'd been like that since the incident with the unicorn. It was like he felt he still owed Camelot something more. Merlin understood it even if he didn’t agree.

"Then I'll stay up with you, if it's all the same," Merlin decided, knowing if he didn't, he'd just find Arthur face down on the desk in the morning. At least this way, he could probably talk him into bed, so to speak.

"Don't be stupid, Merlin," Arthur said with a sigh. "I don't need a sleep deprived servant on top of a useless one."

Merlin shrugged, undeterred. "If I don't put you to bed, you'll only make a mess of it."

Arthur closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, opening his mouth and half forming the word _Merlin_ to shout before he gave up. "Fine but get some sleep at least. I'll wake you if I need you."

Merlin hesitated, glancing around before taking a seat at Arthur's dinner table uncertainly.

"Merlin, just go to bed, will you? It's not like I'm using it, you may as well." Arthur returned to his papers, indicating the discussion was closed.

Merlin stood but hesitated again before he approached the empty bed. "Are you sure?"

Arthur didn't look up but Merlin felt a ripple of annoyance spread through him. "By the gods, Merlin, accept the favour before I change my mind."

Merlin nodded silently before pulling his jacket and boots off and sitting on the bed.

It held many memories, ones that he could never tell Arthur about but the idea that he had permission to slip between sheets as familiar to him as his own made him want to spill every secret. But he couldn't. It was only a small favour, meaningless to Arthur. He didn't understand what it meant.

Merlin pulled the sheets around him and chastised himself. Arthur had given him this bed to sleep in. He shouldn't even think of anything else. "Goodnight," he said, half asleep before he'd even closed his eyes. "Arthur. Arthur?"

"What?" Arthur asked, huffing and looking up.

"Thank you," Merlin said, closing his eyes before opening them again. "Arthur?"

"What now?" Arthur asked through gritted teeth.

"Don't stay up all night. It's not good for you, you look awful..." Merlin trailed off sleepily, eyes closing for a final time as Arthur muttered something that sounded oddly like an agreement to Merlin's ears. Wrapped in warmth and Arthur, he might have even muttered something back though he couldn't say what.

Merlin hadn't intended to fall asleep, not completely. He'd always meant to keep one eye on Arthur but when he woke with a start, he realised he'd failed. The sun was starting to break in the sky and the weakest light cast itself on Arthur, yet again fast asleep at his desk, his face precariously balanced on his hand.

Merlin's breath caught in his chest to see him. His eyes were still shadowed and his skin still pale but he looked peaceful. Merlin wasn't sure he'd ever seen him like that. Usually when he woke him in the morning, he was half buried in his pillow and half awake already, protesting his awakening all the same.

He'd been dreaming of him, Merlin was sure. He could faintly remember it, lingering in the softness of the sheets. He longed to wake Arthur, to return him to his bed but that would mean leaving it himself and he couldn't bring himself to do that yet. Not while Arthur was so beautiful in the light, not while he had everything he needed.

It was almost a habit, being hard with wandering hands in Arthur’s bed. It took a gentle stroke over his cock to remember why it was something he shouldn’t do, especially not with Arthur sleeping just across the room but madness that it was, it didn’t stop him. Arthur’s presence, the danger of being caught, only made him need it more.

He’d have liked to have the strength to pull back before he did anything that could get him into trouble but even when the sheets rustled, Arthur didn’t stir and there was no voice strong enough, certainly not his own, to stop him.

It was quick, with a hand barely daring to touch properly and his knees raised, just to stop the bedding from moving but every change in Arthur’s breathing or any sound from Arthur’s dreaming nearly pushed Merlin over the edge, urging him to go faster lest he be caught. When he came, his heart was beating so fast that he had to lie in silence, head swimming, just to get his breath back.

He cast an eye over Arthur and frowned. He’d thought it’d feel different with Arthur so close, like the act would magically forge some connection between them but he didn’t feel any different. He felt tired, barely satisfied and a new shade of guilty. It was a horrible thing to have occur to him in the small hours of the morning while pretending to be asleep in someone else’s bed but he knew it wasn’t going to be enough anymore.

He opened one eye and glanced at Arthur, still sound asleep. He’d get up in a moment. He’d wake him up in a moment...


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin thought it was the brightness of the sun that woke him, as it glared at him in judgement through the window but when he tried to move, he learned differently. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure it was Arthur who had an iron grip around his waist – though who else it would have been Merlin couldn’t say – before he settled back down into the pillows.

It didn’t take much working out to guess that he’d fallen back asleep somehow and Arthur had woken and taken himself to bed, completely invalidating Merlin’s excuse for why he’d stayed. He’d probably never be allowed to stay again and that wasn’t even to mention the other liberties he’d taken.

What puzzled Merlin more was why Arthur hadn’t kicked him out of bed in order to get in it himself? After all, it was his bed. The notion that perhaps he’d been too tired to bother was soon dissuaded when Merlin noticed the arm wrapped around him was clad in Arthur’s white nightshirt, so he’d obviously not fallen into bed without a care. He’d made a conscious decision to leave Merlin there and once again in the space of half a morning, Merlin found his heart beating like he was running for his life.

It wasn’t the first time they’d slept in close quarters but that time, he’d had time to prepare, to think up ways to stop them ending up like _this_. Sleeping head to toe with a good gap in between, for example, rather than pressed together altogether too tightly with Arthur’s cock resting perfectly against his arse. And when he woke up, Arthur would no doubt realise where he’d ended up and not be too happy about it, despite how happy about it he seemed while sleeping.

Merlin swore to himself and closed his eyes again. Perhaps if he pretended he was still asleep, Arthur could extradite himself without any attention having to be drawn to the fact he had his crotch pushing into his servant’s arse while his hand strayed dangerously close to the same servant’s breeches. Gods, it was a royal scandal waiting to be discovered and they hadn’t even done anything. No, he’d have to get up, he decided. There was nothing to be done about it.

He tried to get out from under Arthur’s arm properly this time but it was like a snare, the more he resisted, the tighter he was held until he gave up with a huff, suppressing the urge to elbow Arthur in the ribs. Then as if to mock him, Arthur’s arm slipped away from him and Arthur rolled back, putting his back to the mattress and opening his eyes. “Oh good, you’re up.”

Merlin froze, his mind guiltily checking he wasn’t up in the way he feared he was before he dared roll over to meet Arthur’s eye.

“Sorry, I should have woken you,” Merlin started apologising before he realised he was only incriminating himself further. “Just now, I mean. Not any other time. I didn’t even... did you get to bed in the end? I mean, obviously you did because there you are but-”

“Merlin, shut up,” Arthur said almost lazily, the command rolling off his tongue before Merlin could stop the words coming out.

“Yes. Shall do. Breakfast?” he asked, pushing the covers away only to have Arthur stop him.

“No, I wanted to talk to you first,” Arthur said, making himself comfortable again, hinting that the talk wasn’t going to take place somewhere else. Somewhere... appropriate.

Merlin swallowed uncomfortably. Arthur wanting to talk to him was trouble at the best of times but still tucked up in his bed, knowing he’d felt what he’d felt, he wasn’t sure he could cope.

“Don’t panic, I’m not dismissing you... not this morning, at least,” Arthur attempted a smile and Merlin did his best to return it. “I just wanted to say, if you’re going use my bed for your _alone_ time, can you make a better job of sneaking around? I’m not sure how much longer I can pretend not to notice and it’s doing my head in.”

Merlin nearly choked on the air he was breathing and sat bolt upright, pushing the covers off himself and scrambled out of the bed. He was done for now, he knew it.

“I’m sorry, it’s not...” Merlin paused, fairly certain he couldn’t say it wasn’t what it looked like given the circumstances. “It’s not like that.”

Arthur sat up but didn’t follow Merlin out of bed; he just frowned up at him. “What is it like then?”

 _Bugger,_ Merlin thought as he gathered up his boots and jacket. “I... don’t know. I’m an idiot and I have no excuse. It won’t happen again.”

“Well,” Arthur said with a shrug before he led back down. “That’s a shame.”

“What?” Merlin turned, nearly straining his neck with the effort, sure he must have misheard. Maybe he was still dreaming.

“At first I assumed you didn’t want me to know,” Arthur explained to the canopy to the bed. “Given how you were trying to hide it. But last night,” he turned to Merlin with the same look he wore when he’d won a fight, looking entirely smug by trying to look humble. “Doing it with me in the room, I assumed you wanted to be caught. And that got me thinking.”

“Well, that can’t be good,” Merlin said out of habit, heat rising to his skin, making him feel like he was being boiled from the inside out. He’d known he’d pushed it too far before. What if he’d said something that gave him away? What if he’d said Arthur’s name? And he was going to stop, he’d decided last night. He’d promised himself. He wanted to kick the bedpost and shout how it wasn’t fair but his desire not to be thrown into the stocks stopped him. Arthur was still watching him, after all, with that infuriatingly knowing look. “Thinking about what?” he asked, simply to get Arthur to stop staring.

“I just couldn’t work out why. You have your own chambers, which you are risking, along with your job, if my father finds out.” Arthur put his arm under his head casually. Too casually for the conversation they were having by far. “Will you sit down? You’re making my neck hurt.”

“You could always get up,” Merlin argued before biting his tongue. “I said I’d do breakfast, didn’t I?”

“Why would I want to get up?” Arthur asked, stretching so the sheet slipped a little down. Merlin pretended he hadn’t seen. He was in enough trouble as it was.

“I don’t know, it’s what people do in the morning, isn’t it?” Merlin answered distractedly. Really, the last thing he wanted to do was serve Arthur breakfast in bed but he needed to get out of there, he needed time to think up a decent excuse.

“Do they? I’ve personally found you can get plenty in before breakfast. You’d be surprised. Take your little hobby for example...” Arthur trailed off but he’d made his point.

“Fine. You do that; I’ll take my time with the eggs. I’ll go find a sleepy chicken, I could be hours...” Merlin walked around the bed but that finally spurred Arthur into sitting up.

“Will you please just sit down or do I have to spell it out for you? I know, alright? And I’ve not let you go, I’ve not threatened to have you punished, I’ve not even made you change the sheets. Would you like it in writing? I don’t care what you do while in my bed but I would like you to stay. Please.” Arthur huffed, like the word was more effort than he could handle so early in the morning but it made Merlin pause and reconsider leaving. Arthur told him what to do all the time but he rarely _asked_ , it was somewhat worrying.

“Why?” Merlin asked, dropping his boots and jacket on the other side of the bed to where they’d spent the night.

“Because I haven’t slept,” Arthur admitted. “After watching you last night, thinking that there was a chance it wasn’t just for convenience. I got it into my head that it was more than that and not to give you further reason to call me big headed but I was rather hoping it had something to do with me and perhaps if I made my feelings clear, neither of us would have to resort to it any longer. Not on our own, at least.”

Merlin sat down on the bed, purely out of shock. He wasn’t being told off. He was being propositioned. That was certainly a first. “You want me to get you off? Arthur, I know I dress you and bathe you and pretty much everything else but I don’t think that comes under your father’s terms.”

“That wasn’t what I meant,” Arthur said, reaching out for Merlin’s arm then thinking better of it. “Why do you do it in my bed then if not for me?”

Merlin considered all the lies he’d come up with but even he knew they wouldn’t stand up. There was no lie that would so he looked away instead, granting Arthur the truth by keeping silent if nothing else.

“Then I don’t understand why you’re trying to ignore me. Ignore it, even.”

Merlin looked at him sideways, completely lost and not trusting his head to stay clear. It was starting to sound like Arthur _wanted_ him to be thinking about him when he touched himself. Even Arthur’s ego wasn’t that big. Though if anyone’s was...

“I’m ignoring it because what else can I say?” Merlin asked, giving in. “It was an accident the first time. Or at least, I didn’t plan it, it just sort of happened. Then it happened again. And then I realised if I couldn’t stop myself, I had to become better at hiding it and it would have been fine if I hadn’t ruined it all by getting carried away. I don’t know what else to say.”

Arthur leaned in closer and Merlin held his breath. This’d be it; he couldn’t make it look any better than it was. He’d have to leave Camelot, leave the kingdom probably. Maybe he could go back to- _Arthur_. All thoughts were derailed suddenly by that one thought. Arthur was kissing him. Surely that wasn’t what was meant to happen.

“Tell me it’s because of me,” Arthur said between kisses. “Tell me you think about me like I think about you.”

Merlin nearly pushed him away, just to make sure it really was him but he got a grip on himself just in time. “Who else? Honestly Arthur, it’s your bed...that’s what’s been bothering you, isn’t it?”

“Mmm,” Arthur said, nodding rather than breaking the next kiss.

“And I was going to give it up. Prat,” Merlin muttered to himself. Arthur leaned back, looking at him questioningly before Merlin shook his head. “Me, not you. Doesn’t matter.”

Arthur nodded and kissed him again. It was worse than the sheets, more addictive. He couldn’t breathe for inhaling him and not only that, he could feel him and taste him and hear him moan as Merlin decided to be brave and slip his hands under the covers.

“Why were you going to give it up?” Arthur asked, breaking them apart long enough to roll them over, so he could push Merlin back against the mattress.

Merlin almost laughed. “Would you believe me if I said it wasn’t enough? Being too close to you without having you. I think I was just feeling guilty for not waking you up.”

“I wasn’t asleep,” Arthur reminded him.

“Yes, well, I didn’t know that, did I? Otherwise I wouldn’t have done it,” Merlin said, his mind flashing back to how peaceful he thought Arthur looked. Bloody faker.

“No, you should have asked me to do it for you,” Arthur said into his ear, working his way down to the neckline of his shirt.

“There are some things you assume you can’t ask the prince,” Merlin reasoned though he was way past reason now.

“Well, _you_ can. You can ask me anything, so long as it’s not to clean my own boots.” Arthur pushed their hips together, his hand reaching for the fastenings on Merlin’s trousers which were barely done up from the night before.

“No, that would be asking too much,” Merlin’s hips bucked up of their own accord at the touch. Usually, he would ignore whatever urges he had in the morning in favour of a few minutes more sleep but even after taking care of himself the night before, he was straining up into Arthur’s touch, needing him again. 

But this time it wasn’t his imagination. This time, when he wrapped his fingers around his cock, there was another hand there too, under his. He wanted to let go, to let Arthur do it but he’d grown strangely attached to his little habit and he wasn’t quite ready to let go of it yet, no matter what he’d thought the night before. And now, things were different. Now he didn’t have to wait for Arthur to be out of his bed before he got in it. Which was for the best really as Arthur didn’t look like he was getting out of bed any time soon.

**Author's Note:**

> As of 01/01/18, I'm opting to disable comments. [More information here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13077201).


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